Biden’s debate performance last week has caused even fellow Democrats to question his mental capacity to govern.
With a growing number of newspaper editorials calling for President Joe Biden to drop out of the campaign after his debate performance last week and questions over his mental fitness, his fellow Democrat elected officials from Pennsylvania are standing by him.
Despite a performance characterized as “the worst debate performance on the presidential stage in history”, Sen. Bob Casey, Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senator up for reelection this year recently spoke up in defense of Biden. Casey, who “had stayed quiet about Biden’s performance” until days after, acknowledged Biden experienced “a bad night and debate” but argued voters will be able to look past it and vote on the issues. According to the Associated Press, Casey refused to discuss why he thinks Bien is fit for office.
Pennsylvania’s other senator, fellow Democrat John Fetterman, echoed Casey’s confidence. Referencing his own poor debate showing in 2022, Fetterman said “No one knows more than me that a rough debate is not the sum total of the person and their record”, adding he won’t “join the Democratic vultures on Biden’s shoulder” calling on him to exit the presidential race. Fetterman suffered a stroke in the leadup to his primary election, the effects of which followed into the debate for the general election. He ended up winning his race by 5 points.
Casey’s rival Dave McCormick believes Biden’s mental faculties are so compromised that the President’s advisors and department secretaries should consider invoking the 25th Amendment which triggers a process of removing the President from office and forcing a vote in Congress to determine if “the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”
While Casey and Fetterman publicly defend Biden, Governor Josh Shapiro is part of a contingent of Democrat governors meeting with President Biden on Wednesday night. Shapiro, who has been mentioned as a potential 2028 candidate, similarly argued it is not time for Biden to drop out. In the speculation over whether Biden will announce he is not seeking reelection, Shapiro is among a small handful of officials being mentioned as a possible replacement this year.
Pennsylvania is a crucial swing state, with the race in the Keystone State effectively tied between Biden and former President Donald Trump. Recent voter registration numbers are trending away from Biden and Democrats. Polling conducted in Pennsylvania the day of and the day after the debate shows Trump ahead with his widest margin since April.
